By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime

My recipe  of the day is for a healthy Spring  side dish of   a  simple oven  roasted, honey glazed carrots  with herbs which I  am posting with the blogging group From Our Family Table.

Spring vegetables make some of the best side dishes, since Spring veggies are always so young and tender-  so many to choose  from  as well, such as carrots, leeks,  asparagus, peas, radishes and so on.

Before it gets very warm in the coming weeks, now is a good time to take advantage of the oven to roast veggies, which brings out the natural sweetness by caramelizing them.

Fresh Herbs vs. Dried

Of course, this can be accentuated with honey, which gives  it a luxurious feel and candied texture while the tender fresh herbs bring out the savory  tones. Of course, you can use dried herbs as well,  but only in one-third of the amount as they are more   concentrated in flavor.

I  find the lemon adds a little brightness too. Lemon is one of  my secret weapons since it is  a flavor most people simply cannot resist. I know of people who when they find out I am bringing a lemon dessert, cave on the  spot,  with the doubling down of lemon, and of course, delicious sweets.

Honey is Healthy!

You can get a bit of sweet flavor in this  without actually feeling guilty. Honey is  in fact good for you as it  boosts an immunity to allergens, if you use local honey. Using honey from  across the country doesn’t have the same  effect since it needs to be made with the same pollens in your air, to raise resistance. So avoid  honey from the big supermarket and try to pick it up at a farm market or local bee keeper.

Farm markets, as they open, usually in mid-April, should be having some of that as well  as  bee pollen from the same bees, and of course, local  produce, such as baby carrots, asparagus, leeks and mushrooms if you are lucky. It is also a great source for excellent baby lettuces, which are always most crisp  and sweet before the weather gets hot (which cause them to bolt and become bitter).